Former County Commissioner Guillermo "Willie" Gandara Jr., who resigned days after he was arrested in February on drug-trafficking charges, is scheduled to plead guilty next month, federal court records show.

Gandara, 37, is scheduled to enter his plea before U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvo at 2 p.m. July 26. He is facing five charges stemming from allegations he and four other men were involved in a marijuana-smuggling scheme that operated from one of Gandara's properties in Socorro.

Gandara's friend and alleged co-conspirator Juan Canales, 50, is scheduled to plead guilty to drug charges on July 5. Both men had initially pleaded not guilty.

According to a superseding indictment filed in May, Gandara is charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting, and three counts of establishment of manufacturing operations.

Prosecutors are seeking to seize almost $8,000 in cash that was taken from Gandara at the time of his arrest, Gandara's 2007 Hummer H2 sport utility vehicle, his 1999 Ford Expedition SUV and about 1.4 acres in Socorro owned by Gandara.

They are not currently scheduled to enter new pleas, according to court records.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested Gandara and Canales on Feb. 22. They were later released on bond. Agents arrested Betancourt in March, Rubio-Covarrubias in April and Barron in May. All but Rubio-Covarrubias, who has been jailed without bond, remain free on bond.

Soon after Gandara's arrest, he resigned as county commissioner and withdrew as a candidate in the District 75 state representative race.

A DEA agent testified during an initial court appearance that agents secretly recorded conversations between Gandara and a confidential informant in which Gandara, whom agents said was nicknamed "God father," bragged about running a drug pipeline from El Paso to Oklahoma and Chicago.

A video recorded on Sept. 9, 2011, allegedly showed Gandara standing next to a truck while marijuana packages were transferred from one vehicle to another at Gandara's scrap yard on Coker Road in Socorro.

The agent testified he and other agents were tipped off to Gandara's alleged drug activity by a confidential informant in November 2010. The informant accused Gandara of drug trafficking and warehousing, and of selling stolen goods, including copper items.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Franco then played parts of a hidden-camera video taken of Gandara and the informant in the informant's vehicle, which was allegedly parked outside Gandara's home on June 27, 2011.

In the video, the source is heard offering Gandara between $5,000 and $10,000 in payment for using Gandara's ranch at 720 Worsham Road in Socorro to unload bundles of marijuana.

The agent also testified that during a recorded conversation with the source, Gandara also bragged about making $1,200 per pound of marijuana sold in Chicago and typically running 150 pounds of the drug per trip.

On Oct. 22, 2011, Border Patrol agents seized a large amount of marijuana from a tractor-trailer traveling through the Sierra Blanca checkpoint. The truck, allegedly driven by Betancourt, allegedly began its journey at one of Gandara's properties, the agent testified.

The marijuana bundles, wrapped in plastic and duct tape, were hidden in boxes of chile powder.

At the time of the initial hearing, defense attorney Joe Spencer said Gandara was set up by investigators working with the informant, who might have been facing legal troubles and made a deal with DEA agents.

During a status hearing in April, Montalvo told the attorneys for Gandara, Canales and Betancourt that if their clients didn't decide to plead guilty by June, they should prepare to go to trial in October.

Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6117. Follow her on Twitter @AChavezEPTimes.